Last week’s “WW #49” is a rare color shot of S&NY engine #114 making up a train at Towanda, possibly during the fall of 1941. There is a nice variety of pre-war house cars behind the #114, and the second car behind the engine appears to be one of the ubiquitous PRR X29’s. The others I am uncertain.
Wordless Wednesday #49
S. Van Gorder Photo-Author’s Collection
Talky Tuesday #20
S&NY engine #117 takes a spin on the Lehigh Valley turntable at Towanda in last week’s “WW #48”. The #117 was originally built for the NYC in 1900 at Schenectady, and was bought second-hand by the S&NY in 1926. After abandonment in 1942, the little 2-6-0 was turned into scrap for the war effort.
Wordless Wednesday #48
Herb Trice Photo – Author’s Collection
Talky Tuesday #19
The mail must go through! Last week’s “WW #47” illustrates on of the reasons the S&NY was able to weather the Great Depression. In the era before interstate highways, UPS, television, and the internet, one of the few ways people and businesses could communicate long-distance was via the U.S. Mail. The funds from mail-hauling contracts with the U.S. government was often the only thing keeping many otherwise unprofitable passenger trains and shortlines afloat during the Depression and WWII, at least until trucks began to take over the business in the 1950’s.
Here mailbags are exchanged at a station stop somewhere along the S&NY, possibly Wheelerville.
Talky Tuesday #18
An unusual southward looking view at Towanda is the subject of last week’s “Wordless Wednesday #46”. This scene is clearly after abandonment of the S&NY, as all of the tracks have been removed, save those transferred to the Lehigh Valley on the right, preserving a connection to the LV’s State Line and Sullivan Branch at Monroeton.
While probably uninteresting to the casual observer (just some abandoned buildings), this photo is a valuable find for the modeler. Essentially every other photo of the S&NY yard at Towanda I have was shot facing the opposite way (i.e. north). This is the only photo I have found that shows the north side of the engine house, sand house, and S&NY station/yard office.
Wordless Wednesday #46
Author’s Collection
Talky Tuesday #16
A nearly panoramic view of the Lehigh Valley’s station in the north end of Towanda is the subject of last week’s “Wordless Wednesday #44”. To the left is SNY engine #119 with converted motor combination car #206. Behind #119 is the old Lehigh Valley stone enginehouse. In the background behind the station is the LV’s mainline coaling tower built ca. 1940, and to the viewer’s right is a Lehigh Valley freight train curving toward the mainline bridge over the Susquehanna River, just out of the frame to the right.
An interesting detail is the (presumed) line of taxis waiting behind the station. This suggests a Lehigh Valley passenger train (perhaps the Black Diamond?) is soon due.
Wordless Wednesday #44
Author’s Collection
Talky Tuesday #15
WW #43 is the last of the Robert Richardson S&NY photos from the Denver Public Library’s Western History Collection. In this image, #119 is seen departing the Lehigh Valley’s Towanda station with an interesting mixed train in tow. Ancient combine #102 carries the rear markers behind an almost equally ancient Milwaukee Road wooden-sheathed boxcar, and two tank cars. I cannot make out the ownership of the second tank car, but the first has GATX reporting marks, and is leased to Penick and Ford Ltd. Inc. P&F were makers of corn and sugar food products whose brand names included Brer Rabbit molasses, Brer Rabbit Syrup, Penick salad oil, and Douglas feed. They were also major suppliers of starch to the paper industry. Sunshine once offered an HO kit of this car with P&F decals.Sunshine GATX Type 30 8k tank cars (See page 2 of the Sunshine data sheet)
Recent Comments